Joaquin's Deceit
by Desi-poo
Summary: What if the one person you care for and trust most was using you to get information? What happens when Kevin finds out that Joaquin is doing just that.


So I finished Riverdale a few days ago and I absolutely love Joavin. I've had a few ideas for stories running through my head since there's barely any development for their relationship on the show. I don't own Riverdale, just this story.

"How's it going with the Keller kid?" F.P. asked Joaquin before he walked out of the trailer to hide the duffle bag.

"It's-it's going good. He thinks we're legit." Joaquin answers back.

"Right on. We're gonna need that inside line with the sheriff." 

Joaquin nods and turns to walk away, but pauses and turns back to F.P. with a nervous look on his face. F.P. looks at Joaquin with an exasperated look. "What? We got a problem?" He spits out, annoyed.

Joaquin pauses and looks F.P. in the eyes, "He likes me, you know? For real." Looking F.P. in the eyes and admitting this, Joaquin expected a different reaction than the one he got, but realizes that, in the end, he shouldn't have gotten his hopes. F.P. pauses and then laughs in Joaquin's face and goes to sit on the couch, "Oh, you're breaking my heart." He reaches for a beer out of cooler in front of the couch, opens it, "We all got a part to play, including me." Joaquin looks down, disappointed by this conversation and makes to leave the trailer in order to stash the duffle. As Joaquin walks out of the trailer he doesn't notice the shadow that scurries around the side of the trailer and run off.

A few days later, on a Friday afternoon, after Jug's disaster of a birthday party, Kevin Keller, the son of the town sheriff and boyfriend of Joaquin DeSantos sits with his friend Betty and Jughead at Pop's after school. Kevin didn't know why the couple had asked him to Pop's just that they said they needed to talk to him about something important, but when questioned, they wouldn't say what about. So Kevin sat in the booth across from Betty and Jug waiting for them to tell him what the deal was.

"Can you guys just tell me what's going on? I really need to go soon." Kevin said looking exasperate. He needed to get home so he could change his clothes and then meet up with Joaquin for a date they had planned. He was so excited to see Joaquin. Not only was the boy devilishly handsome, but he was the first openly gay boy in Riverdale that Kevin had met and even better, he wanted Kevin just as much as Kevin wanted him. For the first time Kevin had an actual relationship with someone and it wasn't just a bunch of hook-ups with another closeted boy. Thinking of said boy, Kevin smiled excitedly and said "I gotta change for my date with Joaquin."

At the mention of Joaquin, Betty and Jug looked at each other with equal expressions of unease. Noticing their look of unease, Kevin questioned them "What's going on? Why did you guys just look at each other like that?"

Betty reached for Kevin's hand that was resting on the table and said in a soothing voice "Kevin, how well do you really know Joaquin?"

Looking confused, Kevin answered back, "Um, reasonably well, considering we just started dating not too long ago. I know quite a bit about him." With a look of unease from Kevin this time, he asked Betty why she was asking.

"Kevin, Jug heard Joaquin talking to F.P. a few nights ago."

"Okay?"

"They were talking about you and your relationship with Joaquin." Jughead butts in, hoping to get this conversation over with.

Kevin looks at Jughead with a sinking feeling in his stomach "Okay, but that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing." He releases his hand from Betty's and waves it at her and Jug in a nonchalant way.

Jug looks at Kevin and says flatly, "They were talking about your guy's relationship like it was job to Joaquin. My dad wants him to get close to you so that he can get information from you on the sheriff."

Kevin looks at him with a shocked expression, completely not believing what he says. He then starts to get angry at Jug and Betty. DO they honestly believe that Joaquin would use him like that? He's a Serpent, yes, but that doesn't make him a terrible person. That doesn't make him so as to use Kevin for information on his father for F.P. No, he knows Joaquin would never do that. He knows Joaquin has real feelings for him and he has real feelings for Joaquin. They are good together, despite their different backgrounds.

Kevin looks at Betty and Jug with anger plain as day on his face and leans forward, places both palms on the table in front of him, "Do you guys think I'm so unworthy that the only people I can get are closeted boys and boys who want to use me? Let me tell you, I am not. Joaquin is not using me and I know that." He breathes out a breath, nostrils flaring in anger.

Betty sits back and looks at Jug, but then leans forward towards Kevin and tries to reach for his hand. Kevin looks at her hand and pulls his away and into his lap. Betty stops moving and takes a breath, "Kevin, we know that you're a great person and we know that you can get a really good guy, we just don't think that Joaquin is that guy and we just want what's best for you. We care about you so much, Kev."

Kevin looks up at her sharply and with narrowed eyes, "If you care so much about me then why are you telling me this? Why are you deliberately trying to ruin my relationship?"

"We're not trying to ruin your relationship, Kevin, we just want you know that truth." Jughead interjects and puts his arm around Betty's shoulders. A move that does not go unnoticed by Kevin.

Kevin looks at them and laughs bitterly, "The truth? Right. As if." Kevin bites his lip and looks away from them and out the window wondering how he got into this situation.

Jughead, with his arm still around Betty, leans back into booth, "Fine, Kevin, if you don't believe us then ask Joaquin yourself. Tonight. See what he says."

Kevin looks at Jug with a sneer and moves to get out of the booth, but stops and turns to Jug, "Fine, I will and I'll prove what you heard was wrong." He gets up and walks out of Pop's, goes to his truck and drives home to change and wait for Joaquin.

An hour and a half later, a freshly showered and changed (into sweatpants and a t-shirt because he's not in the mood to dress up more then that) Kevin paces around his room. He sits on his bed, then sits on his desk chair, then gets up to pace some more. In the end he sits on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. He can't stop replaying what Jug said in his mind. Joaquin. F.P. Using him. Sheriff. It's all a lot for Kevin to handle because even though he puts out the aura of someone who is confident in himself, and he is, he has just always had this little uncertainty in his and Joaquin's relationship. Not only is Joaquin super handsome, but he's a hot "bad boy" and how the hell can someone like that even give someone like Kevin a second thought? Kevin was definitely not someone he would picture someone like Joaquin going for.

Kevin laid back on his bed and looked up at his ceiling, thinking about all the reasons why Joaquin shouldn't like him. He was the sheriff's son and Joaquin was in a gang. Good kid and bad boy, it's not supposed to work, but they were making it work. They told Kevin's dad about their relationship and Kevin's dad was actually pretty open to it, but that still didn't make it any less difficult. Kevin was also new to this whole "relationship" thing and being with someone in a gang was maybe not the best move when you're new to the relationship thing. Kevin really wanted them to work and he hoped that they could and that what Jug wasn't true, but it was time to find out because at that moment he heard the unmistakable roar of Joaquin's motorcycle on his street. He stood up, took a deep breath and went downstairs to great his boyfriend.

Opening the door, Kevin saw Joaquin climbing off hi motorcycle, take off his helmet and shake out his hair, running a hand through it. He looked up, noticed Kevin was standing in the doorway watching him and gave him a small smile, walking towards the door helmet in hand.

"Hey there, Preppy." Joaquin's smile got wider the closer he got to Kevin, not seeming to notice that Kevin hadn't smiled or said anything back. When Joaquin got to the door, Kevin let him and in, shut and locked the door behind him. Kevin turned and walked past Joaquin and up the stairs to his room without really looking at Joaquin and definitely not looking at him for fear that he would start crying and he really didn't want to do that, because, ugh, he was not going to feel anything until he got the truth.

Joaquin noticed that something was wrong and tried not to start internally freeing out about whatever he may have done wrong. Or worrying that Kevin found out about his deal with F.P. because how could he know that? Joaquin sure as hell didn't tell him and neither did F.P. and they were the only ones who knew. So, what was going on?

When they got up to Kevin's room, Kevin went and sat on his bed as Joaquin shut the door behind him. Joaquin walked across the room to put his helmet and keys down on Kevin's desk wondering why Kevin still hadn't looked at him. When Joaquin turned, Kevin spoke to the wall across from him, but his words were directed towards Joaquin, "Are you using me to get information about my dad?"

Joaquin immediately stilled and felt all the blood drain from his face. How the hell did Kevin know? Who told him? How did they find out? He looked at Kevin with wide eyes that were starting to fill with tears, but Joaquin, who refused to cry, blinked them back. Kevin sat and waited for him to say something, still staring at the wall. Joaquin swallowed, looked down, cleared his throat, and then looked back up at Kevin. In a small voice, he said, "Who told you that?"

Kevin inhaled sharply and finally looked at Joaquin, "So it's true then? You are using me? This whole time." Shaking his head Kevin looks down at the floor and puts his hands to his forehead. Joaquin sits next to him and reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder, but Kevin abruptly stands and stares coldly at Joaquin.

Joaquin puts his hand in his lap and looks up at Kevin, "Kevin…"

"Don't, Joaquin. This whole time you've been using me. I thought you actually liked me, but clearly I was wrong." Kevin shakes his head at Joaquin in disappointment, at himself or at Joaquin is unclear.

Joaquin sucks in a breath and looks at Kevin, "I wasn't using you the whole time I swear! Not even most of the time! I do honestly really like you, Kev."

"You expect me to believe you? I defended you to Jughead and Betty. They're the ones who told me. Jug heard you talking to his dad about how I think our relationship is legit and how you need to get an inside line with the sheriff. I can't believe you. I trusted you." Kevin turns away from Joaquin and looks up at the ceiling blinking back tears. If he cries, he doesn't want Joaquin to see it. He doesn't deserve to see him at his weakest.

Joaquin stands up and puts a hand on Kevin's shoulder, but Kevin roughly shakes him off. Joaquin backs up and places his hands in his pockets and talks to Kevin's back. "Kev…I swear, it wasn't my intention to use you. I didn't mean for this to happen. I-"

Kevin whips around and glares at Joaquin and Joaquin actually flinches a little bit. "What? You mean you didn't mean for this to go on this long? Or you didn't mean to get caught? Or maybe you didn't mean to get caught before you got all the information you needed. Is that it?"

Joaquin, for the love of God, is trying so hard to keep his emotions in check and not break down right there because he knows Kevin has a right to be this angry at him and that he really screwed things up. "No, Kev, none of that. I didn't-"

"Just get out, Joaquin."

Joaquin looks at Kevin for a moment because he isn't sure he heard what he thinks he just heard.

"W-what?"

Kevin goes to the desk and picks up Joaquin's helmet and keys and shoves them at him. "I said, get out. I don't want to see you or be near you right now. Just leave." Joaquin looks at Kevin for a long moment and then takes the helmet and keys that were shoved at him, throws the door open and runs down the stairs and out of the house. Kevin can hear the front door slam and the engine of Joaquin's Motorcycle as it starts up and he drives off. When Kevin is sure that Joaquin is gone he sinks down his closet door to the floor and cries out all the emotions he's been bottling up for the past few hours.

Joaquin was a mess as he drove home from Kevin's. After almost getting by a car driving in the opposite lane, he thought that it would be a good idea to pull over. Joaquin pulled over in a ditch on the side of the road, ripped the keys out of the ignition, threw is bike and helmet on the ground and sank to his knees. He didn't understand how things had gotten so bad so fast between him and Kevin. Actually, that's not true, he did know. Things got so bad because he couldn't say no to F.P. He couldn't stand up to him for his and Kevin's relationship. How could he though? F.P. was a terrifying person when he wanted to be and no one wanted to be on his bad side so of course Joaquin said yes to spying on Kevin and in turn Kevin's friends.

Kneeling in the dirt of the ditch, Joaquin threw his head back and screamed. He screamed out everything that he was feeling, and when he was done screaming, he laid his face in his hands and cried like he had never cried before.

After about an hour of sitting in a ditch crying, Joaquin thought it was time to go home, so he got up, wiped his face, and put his helmet on. Before he got on his bike, he looked back in the direction of Kevin's house and swore to himself that he was going to fix this. He didn't know how, but he would. He would tell everything and he would swear to never lie to him again. And with that thought he drove back the rest of the way to the south side. When he got home, he showered, changed, and went to sleep where he dreamed of Kevin and the happy life he wanted them to have.

Waking up the next morning or really afternoon. Joaquin got dressed and went over to F.P.'s place. He knew this was risky, but he also knew that he had to do it. If not for his own sake, then for Kevin's.

Joaquin Knocked on F.P.'s door and waited for him to answer. Once he did, he looked Joaquin up and down for a second, noticed his puffy eyes, and moved aside to let him in. "What do you want, kid? I thought you'd still be asleep after a night with your "boyfriend"." He smirks and rolls his eyes, thinking he made an amusing joke. Joaquin doesn't find it so funny, however.

"I came to tell you that I'm done with this little "operation" you gave me." He doesn't use air quotes as F.P. did, but they can be heard in his voice. F.P. turns and looks at him with a surprised expression.

"Oh, really? You're done? What made you decide that?"

"The fact that Kevin broke up with me even though I actually care about him because he found out what you made me do."

"So you're just gonna turn your back on your family? On the people who took you in when no one else wanted you? After your parents kicked you out because they found out you were gay? We accepted you and you're just gonna turn your back on us?" F.P. was really getting angry and he got all in Joaquin's face as he was talking, but Joaquin didn't back down, not this time.

"You really think this is what family is about!? You bully all of us F.P. We're not your family, we're just a bunch of people that you push around and really couldn't care less about what happens to us. You couldn't even get things together for your real family so why would the Serpents be any different?"

F.P. didn't know what to say to that because the kid was right. He couldn't keep his family together and he honestly felt bad for Joaquin. No matter what Joaquin did, he was still a kid and he had truly found someone who cared for him in the Keller kid and after seeing Jug run from the things that mattered most to him, it really inspired him to see Joaquin standing up for what he wants and believes. He respects the hell out of him for doing what he's doing.

"Alright Joaquin," says F.P. taking a step back. "You're right. I couldn't keep hold of my family and the Serpents are all I got right now and I'm trying to do right by my own son, but maybe I need to do right by you as well. I think we have all the information we need form the sheriff and those kids." F.P. sits on his couch and grabs a beer out of the cooler in front of him.

Joaquin looks entirely confused and blanches at F.P. "W-what just happened?" Joaquin stutters.

F.P. looks at him and when he sees that dumb look on Joaquin's face, he rolls his eyes and says, "You don't have to spy for me anymore. If you want to be with the Keller kid then be with him. Contrary to what you believe, I do care, so go. Get your boyfriend back."

Joaquin can hardly believe what just happened. He's absolutely speechless and makes to run out the door before F.P. can change his mind. Before he leaves, however, he turns to F.P. and thanks him. F.P. just grunts and continues watching some sports game he just put on. Joaquin runs out the door and rides over to Kevin's hoping that Kevin will listen to what he has to say.

When Joaquin gets to Kevin's house he doesn't see the Sheriff's car so he knows he's not there. He also sees the truck so he knows Kevin is there. He pulls into the driveway and parks his bike. As he gets off and looks at the house he sends up a little prayer that Kevin won't turn him away again. He takes a deep breath, firmly holds his helmet and keys and rings the doorbell. A minute or so later, a slightly disgruntled Kevin opens the door. Joaquin notices that he's got puffy eyes like his, his shirt is kind of rumpled and he's wearing oversized sweatpants with bare feet. He's also got rumpled hair and Joaquin knows it's bad because Kevin never has a hair out of place (unless its from one of their make out sessions and Kevin doesn't mind those so much).

Joaquin feels an overwhelming sense of regret for ever hurting Kevin and he vows to make it up to him anyway he can. Kevin, on the other hand, feels completely shocked and a little angry to see Joaquin on his doorstep. He won't admit that he also feels a twinge of happiness and at seeing the Serpent. In a flat voice he says, "What are you doing here, Joaquin?"

Kevin notices that Joaquin actually looks nervous, but doesn't try to console him. "Um. I just-just wanted to talk if you would let me?" It comes out as a question because of how nervous he is. Kevin looks him up and down, rolls his eyes, but steps out of the way for Joaquin to come in. Kevin shuts the door and goes straight upstairs to his room. He doesn't wait for Joaquin to follow because he knows he will.

Once in his room Kevin leans against the far wall and watches Joaquin put his helmet and keys down and fiddle with his fingers while trying not to look at Kevin. "So, what do you want talk about?" He wants to make Joaquin say it, say that he used him for information. Make him feel as bad as he feels about everything that happened between them.

Joaquin looks up at Kevin nervously and then looks back down. "I want to talk about us." Scoffing, Kevin shoots back, "What about us? There is no us and there never was." At those words Joaquin inhales sharply and takes a step back as if Kevin pushed him. "There was an us. There still could be, if you give me a chance."

Kevin gets pissed at this. Give him a chance? Give I him a chance to what? Hurt him again? No. Not gonna happen. "You want me to give you a chance to hurt me again? I don't think so, Joaquin. You used me and you want me to let you do it again? I'm not that desperate."

"Kevin, I am so sorry, I swear I never meant to hurt you, just please let me explain." Joaquin was begging at this point and Kevin could see it in his eyes. He would get down on his knees and beg and plead if it meant Kevin would listen. Seeing this, Kevin feels a little bad for being so harsh, so he takes a deep breath and gestures for Joaquin to continue. Joaquin gladly does, before Kevin changes his mind. He sits on the edge of the bed and takes a deep breath, starting from how he got involved with Serpents.

"I got involved with the Serpents about a year ago after my parents kicked me out and disowned for being gay. I was a fifteen year old kid living on the streets with no where to go. One day, F.P. saw me and offered me money and a place to sleep if I did a job for him. It was really simple and I needed it so I did it. I was running low on cash and sleeping in a park is not an ideal situation." He looks up at Kevin to make sure he's still listening and when he sees his is, he takes a deep breath and continues his story.

"After I did the job, F.P. asked me for more help and I gave it too him, eventually he asked me to join the Serpents. He said that if I did that they would accept me and keep me safe. He also said that they needed someone like me, someone young and who could keep up with the work load. That was something I couldn't and didn't want, to pass up. I took him up on his offer and became a Serpent. I didn't necessarily trust F.P., and I still don't, but I knew he'd keep his word and after joining and doing a few more jobs, I got enough money for my own trailer and I've been living on my own ever since.

"Hiram Lodge was paying the Serpents to trash the drive-in so he could buy the land at a cheaper rate. That night, however, I was there to see the movie, not to do a job. I certainly didn't know that you would be there and I didn't even know who you were, I swear, Kev." At that he looks up at Kevin, willing him to believe what he's saying. That he truly didn't know. Kevin, however, keep his face blank so Joaquin keeps going.

"When I saw you turn around I wanted to meet you, so when you got up I followed you and I went up to you. You know the rest," Joaquin smiles slightly at the ground. "But after you left, I was still in the ally and F.P. came up to me. He asked me I liked you and at the time I said that I didn't know because I didn't know. He told me not to get my hopes up because you could never like a guy like me and that I needed to stay close to you and keep tabs on your dad. I was disappointed because I wanted you to like me, but I also couldn't disappoint F.P. I didn't know what to do so I just went along with what F.P. said. I didn't know what we had then and I couldn't risk losing everything I had, even though its not much.

"I went along with what F.P. said to do, and I tried not to like you, Kev, I really did," Joaquin gets up and walk over to Kevin, looking his straight in the eye, "But the more we started spending time together, the more I really liked you and I didn't want to lose what we had. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how and I really don't want you to hate me, Kev." Joaquin looks into Kevin's eyes, pleading with him. Kevin sees him pleading and decides that Joaquin is telling the absolute truth, he can see it in his eyes. After everything Joaquin just told him, how can he still be mad? He may be a gang banger, but he's still just a kid. A kid who was put into an impossible situation by forces that he couldn't control.

Kevin sighs and looks at Joaquin, "I'm not at you, 'Quin. I wish you would have told me what was going on instead of me having to find out from someone else, but I understand why you didn't and I understand why did all of it in the first place." A small smile starts to form on Kevin's face and he reaches out and slowly laces his fingers with Joaquin's. "I hate what you did, but I know you didn't do it to hurt me."

Joaquin forcefully shakes his head, "I would never intentionally hurt you, Kevin. I care about you so much it hurts sometimes."

Kevin slowly nods his head, concentrating on his next words, "I know, Joaquin. Even though that is the case, what you did still hurt and I think we should take things slow."

Joaquin looks at Kevin with a hopefully expression, a smile beginning to form, "Does this mean you forgive me and we can get back together?"

Kevin starts to swing their joined hands and looks up at Joaquin, "I forgive you. And I want to get back together." Joaquin lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and lunges at Kevin, enveloping him in a tight hug. After a few seconds he pulls back and kisses Kevin on the cheek, "Thank you, Kevin."

"Please just be honest with me form now on, Joaquin. No more surprises. I know you can't tell me everything, I'm not stupid to believe that, but please be as honest as you can."

"Done. I promise."

With that promise, Kevin leans down and kisses Joaquin firmly on the mouth. Joaquin vows with that kiss that he won't let anything come between him and his man ever again. For the rest of the day, they lay in Kevin's bed watching movies, cuddling, and just enjoying each others company.


End file.
